QMJHL Announces Honourary Captains for ADT Canada Russia Challenge

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League in association with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today announced the honourary captains for the QMJHL games of the 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge.

Fabian Joseph, Associate Coach with the Moncton Wildcats will serve as the honourary captain for the game held in Sydney, NS on November 17 while Gordie Clark, Director of Player Personnel with the New York Rangers will act in the same capacity for the game in Saint John, NB on November 19.

Joseph was born and raised in Sydney, NS and grew up playing for the Whitney Pier Hockey Association. His junior career led him to the Victoria Cougars of the WHL where from 1982-1984 he accumulated 94 goals and 123 assists in 141 games.  He was selected in the sixth round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Joseph returned home in 1987 and played in the AHL for three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers affiliate teams the Nova Scotia Oilers and later the Cape Breton Oilers where he was team captain.  Internationally, Joseph competed for Canada’s National Team winning a silver medal at the Albertville Olympics in 1992 and captained the silver medal winning team in Lillehammer in 1994.

As a coach, Joseph started his career with the Milwaukee Admirals of the IHL for two seasons before working in Halifax with the Mooseheads when they hosted the Memorial Cup in 2000.  He was head coach of the Dalhousie University Tigers where he was coach of the year in 2002 and 2004 before joining the Moncton Wildcats in 2007 where he is currently enjoying a great start to the 2008-09 campaign.

Gordie Clark was born in Glasgow, Scotland but grew up and played his minor hockey in Saint John, NB.  Drafted into the NHL in the seventh round of the 1972 Amateur Draft by the Boston Bruins, Clark played nine seasons in the AHL from 1974-1983 including four seasons in Rochester with the Americans and five seasons with the Maine Mariners after a brief stint with the Springfield Indians.  He would compile 267 goals and 332 assists for 599 points in 540 AHL games played.  

Clark got his NHL start as an assistant coach working with the Boston Bruins from 1989-1992 before joining the scouting department, serving as director of scouting for two of his four seasons.  Clark spent six seasons with the New York Islanders, most recently as Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel where his responsibilities included the NHL Draft, selecting players such as Eric Brewer, Tim Connolly, Roberto Luongo, and Rick DiPietro.  Clark joined the Rangers as the Head Amateur Scout and was promoted to Director of Player Personnel in July of 2007 and currently oversees all professional and amateur scouting.

The 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge features a team of CHL All-Stars representing each regional league that will compete against the Russian National Junior team.  All six games will be broadcasted nationally on Rogers Sportsnet, with the two QMJHL games also broadcasted on RDS.